Self-locking Sock Clips for Washer and Dryer

ABSTRACT

A self-locking clip has a firm grip on clothes between two jaws to keep the clothes together in a washing machine or dryer. The clip has a latch that securely fastens the two jaws. When the jaws grasp the clothes, the latch may close so that the jaws cannot open. In some embodiments, the clip provides a loop that is connected to an end of the clip. The loop may be folded back onto the latch so that the latch does not move, thereby providing a secondary locking system by securing the position of the latch. The loop can also be used to hang the clip on the wall or some other place, or to attach a lanyard or rope to it to make it easier for a person to carry or retrieve the clothes. The loop can also be used to connect multiple clips with a lanyard or rope.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a self-locking sock clip, and more specifically to a self-locking sock clip having a wider gripping section and a loop also functioning as a secondary lock.

BACKGROUND

When socks are put in a washer and a dryer, matching pairs are often missing or hard to find after the washing and drying is done. The socks are all mingled in the washer and dryer. Once the right pairs are matched, they are folded and used again, then the same cycle goes on and on. It is one of the most tedious household chores one has to go through on a regular basis.

To address this problem, clips that keep the matching pairs of socks together in washing machines were devised. However, because washing machines inevitably tumble the clothes and socks numerous times, often the clips cannot withstand the impacts and the clips come apart so that the pairs of socks secured in the clips get lost. Therefore, a more robust clip that more securely holds on to the pairs of socks is needed.

Moreover, because washing machines frequently use hot water, clips containing metal pieces and deformable plastic materials are degraded over time and lose their strength or rust. Therefore, clips that can outlast long exposure to hot, moist environments are needed.

Consequently, it would be desirable to have a clip that increases the durability over hot and moist environment in washing machines and dryers and that securely holds on to the pair of socks throughout the repeated washing cycles.

SUMMARY

The disclosure presented herein related to a self-locking clip. More specifically, a self-locking clip that has a firm grip on clothes between two jaws to keep the clothes together in a washing machine or dryer. As used herein, the “clip” refers to a device for grasping, clasping, or holding an object or objects together. In one embodiment, the clip is entirely made of heat resisting plastic.

Continuing with the embodiment of the clip described above, the clip may have a latch that securely fastens the two jaws. When the jaws grasp the clothes, the latch may close so that the jaws cannot open.

In another embodiment, the clip provides a loop that is connected to an end of the clip. As used herein, the “loop” refers to a closed or near-closed ring-like or curved shape to connect or house other items. The loop can be used to hang the clip on the wall or some other place after taking the clip out of the washing machine so that the clothes grasped between the jaws of the clip can be dried under the ambient environment. The loop can also be used to attach a lanyard or rope to it to make it easier for a person to carry the clothes or retrieve the clothes from the washing machine. The loop can also be used to connect multiple clips with a lanyard or rope. As used herein, the “lanyard” refers to a cord, strip or string typically to be worn around the neck, shoulder, or wrist to carry items attached to it.

Continuing with the embodiment of the clip described above, when a latch as described above closes after the jaws grasp the clothes, the loop may be folded back onto the latch so that the latch does not move. In this way the clip provides a secondary locking system by securing the position of the latch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of the self-locking clip of the present invention in its open position showing upper teeth on an upper jaw and lower teeth on a lower jaw.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 1A in its open position showing a locking latch.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 1A in its closed position.

FIG. 1D is a top view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 1A in its closed position showing the locking latch and the upper jaw.

FIG. 1E is a side view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 1A in its open position.

FIG. 1F is a side view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 1A in its closed position.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the self-locking clip of the present invention in its closed position showing a loop and a loop slot.

FIG. 2B is a side view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 2A in its closed position and showing a loop and a loop slot where the loop is not locked in the loop slot.

FIG. 2C is a side view of the self-locking clip of FIG. 2A in its closed position showing the loop locked in the loop slot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used—to the extent possible—in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range including that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range, including that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose limits include both numbers. For example, “25 to 100” means a range whose lower limit is 25 and upper limit is 100, and includes both 25 and 100.

As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. An identical reference number or designation in the various drawings indicate the same element.

The present description includes one or more embodiments that are generally related to a novel clip that has a firm grip or grasp on clothes and a locking mechanism. The grip or grasp on the clothes is provided by a pair of jaws that are pressed against each other by a locking mechanism while the clothes are depressed between the pair of jaws. The locking mechanism is provided by a latch where a user puts the latch in a locking position in which the latch presses on one of the jaws against the other jaw. An exemplary locking mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 1A and explained in further detail below. The latch is fixed and prevented from opening from the locking position by a self-locking mechanism, and a non-limiting example of a self-locking mechanism includes a snap latch having a matching bump or hook and a slot.

Further, the present description includes one or more embodiments that include a loop that enables two or more clips to be tied together with a rope or cord and be hung to air-dry the clothes. The loop may also function as a secondary locking mechanism to secure the locking of the jaws of the clip. More details are provided below with respect to the Figures.

The self-locking clip of the present invention allows for a clip that does not easily open and lose the clothes under high temperature, moisture, and high impact conditions such as in a washing machine or dryer. The self-locking clip has a locking mechanism such as a locking latch that holds the two jaws together when the latch is closed.

Advantageously, the self-locking clip has an end portion of the jaws that flares out so that the grasping area for clothes is larger than straight jaws, consequently creating a firmer grip on clothes.

Moreover, the self-locking clip may additionally have a loop on the opposite side from the flaring portion of the jaws. The loop can be used to tie a string or cord to connect two or more clips together while within a washing machine or dryer. Or the loop can be used to hang the clip on a wall or other location to air-dry the clothes out of the washing machine. The loop may also be folded onto the locking mechanism such as a locking latch to lock the position of the locking mechanism so that it does not come off and loosen the jaws. This is different from other clips where there is only one locking mechanism. As used herein, the “latch” refers to any mechanism for fastening the relative position of one item with respect to another. A non-limiting example includes a lever that pivotally clamps down one item against another and a catch to secure the lever in its locked position. Another non-limiting example includes a spring mechanism that clamps down one item against another into its locked position and a lever that lifts one of the items when a user depresses the lever.

FIGS. 1A-1C are perspective views of an embodiment of a self-locking clip. FIGS. 1A-1B are views in different angles when the self-locking clip 100 is in an open position, and FIG. 1C is a view when the self-locking clip 100 is in a closed position, as will be described in further detail below. The self-locking clip 100 has an upper jaw 102 having upper teeth 104 and a lower jaw 106 having lower teeth 108. Here, the upper jaw 102 and the lower jaw 106 may collectively be called “the jaws.” The upper jaw 102 pivotally rotates around a jaw hinge 110 so that the relative angle between the upper jaw 102 and the lower jaw 106 varies. When the jaws are closed, as shown in FIG. 1C, the upper teeth 104 and lower teeth 108 meet, and the jaws exert a clamping force or grasping force on an item such as clothes between the jaws.

In some embodiments, the jaws may have a spring-like structure whereby the jaws 102, 106 are left open when a user does not exert a force to hold the jaws together. For example, a metal spring (not shown) may be installed in and around the jaw hinge 110 so that the upper jaw 102 and the lower jaw 106 are angularly separated and open when the locking latch 112 is not closed by depressing the upper jaw 102, as shown in FIG. 1F. Alternatively, a plastic piece (not shown) having elasticity may be inserted between the upper jaw 102 and the lower jaw 106 to keep the jaws angularly open. Still alternatively, no such spring-like structure may be present. In some other embodiments, a spring-like structure may be installed in and around the jaw hinge 110 whereby the jaws 102, 106 remain closed unless a user depresses the locking latch 112 to open the jaws 102, 106.

When a user puts the self-locking clip 100 in the closed position, the user presses a locking latch 112 having a latch contact portion 114 as shown in FIG. 1B, by which the latch contact portion 114 contacts an upper jaw contact portion 116 of the upper jaw 102 and clamps down the upper jaw 102 against the lower jaw 106, as explained below in more detail.

As used herein, the “teeth” refer to any uneven surface structure providing friction, such as a surface having grooves and ridges, or a plurality of bumps as shown in FIG. 1A. Each “tooth” may have a form of a cone, a truncated cone, a parallelepiped, a square pyramid, a triangular pyramid, a line of ridge, or any other shape having one or more protrusions. Each of the upper teeth 104 and the lower teeth 108 may have one or more protrusions from the surface of the upper jaw 102 or lower jaw 106. When the jaws are closed, the upper teeth 104 and lower teeth 108 meet. Alternatively, the upper teeth 104 and lower teeth 108 may have an arrangement such that they completely or substantially overlap each other, as shown in FIG. 1C. Still alternatively, only one of the upper jaw 102 and the lower jaw 106 may have teeth.

The whole body of the self-locking clip is made of a material that can resist thermal degradation and/or deformation and maintain sufficient strength and stiffness at an operating temperature range of washing machines and dryers commercially sold for household or industrial use. Such material is also resistant to degradation and corrosion by water or moisture and various types of detergents commonly used for washing and drying, and it also has strength and stiffness against tumbling forces inside the washing machines and dryers. For example, the whole body of the clip can be made out of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS plastic”), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (“ECTFE”), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (“ETFE”), and the combination thereof. An all-plastic clip can be made for corrosion and moisture resistance. Alternatively, other materials such as stainless steel may also be used. However, the above materials are only illustrative and not an exhaustive list of materials that can be used to make the clip.

FIG. 1D is a top view of the same embodiment of a self-locking clip. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1D, the jaws are shaped in the longitudinal direction 150 such that the shape of the jaws viewed from the top as in FIG. 1D is curved in the lateral direction 160. Alternatively, the shape of the jaws viewed from the top as in FIG. 1D is angled toward the lateral direction 160, thereby forming a gripping area similar to the shape of a trapezoid. In this design, the edges of the trapezoid may be rounded or chamfered. In this way, the jaws have a larger area for gripping clothes than the shape of side walls of the jaws having a straight up shape in the longitudinal direction 150. In other words, the jaws “flare out” from the jaw hinge 110 where the jaws are pivotally joined together. This shape increases the area in which the clothes are held between the jaws and enables firmer grips on the clothes the jaws hold so that the jaws do not easily lose the clothes they hold in a washing machine or dryer when the clothes and the clip are tumbled within the drum. In some other embodiments, the jaws may be shaped straight in the longitudinal direction 150 without being “flared out.”

After the jaws close and grip the clothes, a locking latch is closed so that the closed position of the jaws is secured. FIGS. 1E-1F show the side views of the same embodiment of a self-locking clip 100 using a locking mechanism. However, many different forms and methods of latching mechanism may be interchangeably used, such as the latch mechanisms disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,402 to T. Takabayashi and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,482 to R. Hawie. This invention is not limited to the examples of locking mechanisms shown in this specification and the references herein. FIG. 1E shows a side view when the jaws are open, and FIG. 1F shows a side view when the jaws are closed and the locking latch 112 is closed. As used herein, the locking latch 112 is “closed” when the locking latch 112 is in a position where its latch contact portion 114 contacts the upper jaw contact portion 116 and depresses the upper jaw 102 against the lower jaw 106. The locking latch 112 is pivotably rotatable around a latch hinge 118 that is fixed on the lower jaw 106. The closed position of the locking latch 112 is fixed and prevents the jaws from opening from the closed position. To keep the locking latch 112 in the closed position, the self-locking mechanism uses one of many different techniques commonly known to a person of skill in the art, which includes a snap latch having a matching snap tab or hook and a snap groove or slot (not shown in the Figures), as shown for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,437 to Kenneth R. Schnell.

When the jaws are open as shown in FIG. 1E, the clothes which a user wants to keep together such as a pair of socks are engaged between the jaws. When the jaws close as shown in FIG. 1F, the locking latch 112 is closed so that the latch contact portion 114 contacts and depresses the upper jaw contact portion 116 (shown in FIG. 1B) of the upper jaw 102. At the same time, as described in the above paragraph, the locking latch 112 is secured in a closed or locked position using one of many commonly available locking mechanisms including, but not limited to, having a pair of a small protrusion, or “snap tab” and a recess, or “snap groove” (not shown) on the sides of the locking latch 112 and the jaw hinge 110, respectively. In this example, when the locking latch 112 is closed, the snap tab on a side of the locking latch 112 fits in the snap groove formed on a surface of the jaw hinge 110 so that the relative pivotal movement of the locking latch 112 is suppressed.

In another embodiment, a self-locking clip has a loop at the opposite end of the jaws. FIGS. 2A-2C show how the loop is used.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a self-locking clip 200 having a loop 220 that is anchored at a loop housing 222 and pivotably rotatable around the loop hole 222. The loop hole 222 may be a through-hole as shown FIG. 2A, or it may be in any other shape including but not limited to an open receptacle as long as the loop hole 222 allows a rotational degree of freedom to the loop 220 around the loop hole 222. As used herein, a “loop” refers to a closed or near-closed ring-like or curved shape to connect or house other items. Alternatively, the loop may have an angled shape or any other shape forming a shape of a closed or near-closed loop.

The loop may be used to hang the clip on the wall or some other place after taking the clip out of the washing machine so that the clothes grasped between the jaws of the clip can be dried under the ambient environment without releasing the clothes from the self-locking clip. The loop may also be used to attach a lanyard or rope to it to make it easier for a person to carry the clothes or retrieve the clothes from the washing machine. As used herein, a “lanyard” refers to a cord, strip, or string typically to be worn around the neck, shoulder or wrist to carry items attached to it. The lanyard or rope may be made out of fabric, cloth, or any other material that is suitable for washer and dryer. The loop 220 may also be used to connect multiple clips with a lanyard or rope.

The loop 220 may be made out of the same material as the material for the other parts of the self-locking clip 200, as described above by FIGS. 1A-1F. Alternatively, the loop may be made out of a different material from the material for the other parts of the clip. The material for the loop may similarly have resistance to high temperature, moisture, and high impact conditions as the other parts of the clip.

Referring to FIGS. 2B-2C, a locking latch 212 is shown, which is similar to the locking latch 112 of FIGS. 1A-1F. The locking latch 212 has a loop slot 224 on the surface opposite from the lower jaw 206. As shown in FIGS. 2B-2C, when the loop 220 rotates around the loop hole 222 and folded onto the locking latch 212, the loop 220 snuggly fits the loop slot 224, and the loop 220 locked in the loop slot 224 prevents the locking latch 212 from being accidentally lifted and opening the jaws 202 and 206. Therefore, unlike existing conventional clips that offer only a single locking mechanism, the self-locking clip 200 provides a secondary locking mechanism. As used herein, “snuggly fitting” refers to optimum matching of the outer diameter of the loop and the size of the hollow of the loop groove such that the loop does not easily become detached from the loop groove unless a user forcefully detaches the two by hand.

As mentioned above, although only one kind of locking latch is shown in detail in this specification, many different forms and methods of latching mechanism may be interchangeably used, such as the latch mechanisms disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,402 to T. Takabayashi and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,482 to R. Hawie. However, this invention is not limited to the examples of locking mechanisms shown in this specification and the references herein. In addition, according to different forms and methods of latching mechanism, slight variations of the loop 220 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C may be used to provide a secondary locking mechanism as is provided by the loop 220.

Moreover, although only one kind of secondary locking mechanism is shown in detail in this specification using the loop, loop hole and loop slot, many different forms and methods of secondary latching mechanism may be interchangeably used. For example, the loop may be slidably moveable rather than pivotally moveable, and the loop may be configured to slide into the loop slot to secure the locked position of the jaws.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad application, and that this application is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications and combinations of embodiments within the spirit of the present invention may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. 

1. A self-locking clip comprising: an upper jaw having an upper clamping portion; a lower jaw having a lower clamping portion and a lower handle portion, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw are pivotally attached to each other at a jaw hinge with the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion facing each other and defining a substantially overlapping area; a locking latch having a loop slot, wherein the locking latch is pivotally attached to the lower jaw and moveable between an unlocking position and a locking position, and wherein the locking latch in the locking position depresses the upper jaw against the lower jaw such that the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion press against each other; and a loop moveably attached to the lower handle portion of the lower jaw, wherein the loop is configured to move and snuggly fit the loop slot in the locking position such that the locking latch is not moveable to the unlocking position.
 2. The self-locking clip of claim 1, wherein the loop is pivotally attached to the lower handle portion of the lower jaw, and the loop is configured to pivotally move and snuggly fit the loop slot in the locking position.
 3. The self-locking clip of claim 1, further comprising a spring connected to the jaw hinge, wherein the spring is configured to exert a force separating the upper clamping portion against the lower clamping portion.
 4. The self-locking clip of claim 1, wherein the upper jaw, the lower jaw, the locking latch, and the loop is made out of plastic.
 5. The self-locking clip of claim 4, wherein the plastic is heat-resistant plastic.
 6. The self-locking clip of claim 1, wherein the substantially overlapping area flares out from the jaw hinge.
 7. The self-locking clip of claim 6, wherein the substantially overlapping area is in a trapezoidal shape. 